Sky Blue
by Spirit Wolf
Summary: Jun Aoi is Yurika's friend... but he wishes for something more.


**Disclaimer:** Nadesico is not mine, I do not own the characters, so please don't sue me. 

**Author's Note:** Jun is my favorite character, so this story was bound to happen sooner or later. 

  


**_Sky Blue_**  
**By Spirit Wolf**

"Batter up!" 

He picked up his bat and straightened his cap, making his way out to the field. His coach gave him some desperate hand signals - it was up to him. The bases were loaded, and a home run... a home run was what they needed. He smiled. How typical. 

The crowd roared as he stepped out, bat in hand. He scanned their faces - none were familiar. Except... except for the blue-haired lady in the front row. She was smiling widely at him and waving. A blush spread across his cheeks. 

He almost wasn't ready when the pitcher threw the ball, and his swinging bat missed by an inch. 

"Strike one!" 

He gripped his bat firmly, and prepared to swing again. The ball came low and fast. Too low. He knew he shouldn't have swung, but it was too late. 

"Strike two!" 

He gritted his teeth and gulped. The crowd was roaring, cheering him onwards. He still had one last chance. 

The blue-haired woman caught his eye. She was on her feet, cheering as loudly as she could. Which was pretty loud. 

He adjusted his grip, focused on the pitcher, and prepared to swing. The ball was thrown fiercely, but his swing was fierce, too. 

CRACK! 

The ball sailed through the air. He began to jog casually to first base, watching the ball as he did so. It was hard to keep track of, but it was easy to see that it would land outside the ballpark. 

The cheers were deafening. Members of the crowd were leaping out of the stands and onto the field, running to congratulate the victors. 

He politely made his way through the crowd of cheering fans, and came face-to-face with the blue-haired lady from before. 

"Yurika," he whispered. 

"Jun, that was so wonderful!" she cried. "You did it! You beat them!" 

"Yeah," he said, smiling. His face went slightly crimson. 

Yurika reached forward to straighten his cap, which had been knocked loose in the crowd. She paused, and they gazed into each other's eyes. Jun found himself leaning forwards, and she wrapped her arms around him. His eyes were closed as they prepared to share a passionate kiss. 

The ground buckled and Jun was taken by surprise. The virtual reality simulation began to shut down, and the crowd of cheering fans faded. He looked into the eyes of his love as she slowly disappeared. 

A communications window opened. "We are under attack," came the voice of the young science officer, Ruri. 

Jun nodded. "I'll be right there." 

Ruri disappeared, and Jun slowly removed the VR helmet. His gaze fell to the ground as the room grew dark once more. The VR helmet was pulled out of his hands as it retracted into the ceiling, and he was left in silence. 

That feeling again... it was back. The horrible void deep in his heart. Just like it always was. Draining the energy out of him... trapping all of his thoughts. 

He balled his hands into fists and left the room purposefully. This wasn't the time. He was needed. 

He jogged to the bridge, even as the floor shook under him. It was a Jovian attack - it had to be. 

He reached the bridge and quickly slid into his chair. As the Executive Officer of the space battleship Nadesico, he was basically second in command - a very important position. But... he sighed as he stared at his computer console. It just didn't _feel_ important. 

Even as he focused on the read-outs in front of him, he could sense her presence. As the captain of the ship, she was the most important person on the bridge. Her station was just a few feet away from his. But to him, those few feet felt like the distance between the Earth and its Sun. The Sun was there, in plain sight. It just... just wasn't within reach. 

How he wished he could be closer to her. How his heart yearned every time he saw her. 

How he loved her. 

_Yurika..._ he thought. 

But perhaps the worst part - even more painful then the empty feeling deep inside, even more painful than the feeling of being so close, but so far away - was the way his love was unreturned. No, not just unreturned. 

Unnoticed. 

Just what did Yurika think of him? Her best friend. That's what he was to her. She never dreamed that he might want something more than that. 

The console told him that the Jovian ships were very small, and there were only two. Yet, even though they were hopelessly outmatched, they were fighting. Jun squinted at the radar in front of him. Dozens of extra dots were appearing. 

"The enemy has dispatched Grasshoppers!" Ruri announced. Her voice was soft and emotionless, like always. 

"Are our Aestivalis ready?" Yurika asked. As if they had heard her question, four communications windows appeared on the main screen, each displaying the face of one of the Nadesico's pilots. 

"We've been ready for ages!" Ryoko - the first of the female pilots - snapped. Her short, pale green hair was waving as she spoke, helping to convey her impatience. 

"Ready!" announced Hikaru - the second pilot. Despite the upcoming battle, she had a massive smile on her face. Come to think of it, Jun couldn't remember the last time he had seen her depressed. 

The third pilot - Izumi - muttered something incomprehensible under her breath and chuckled. Jun didn't try to figure out what she had said; judging by all her previous jokes, he was better off not knowing. 

The last pilot gave a simple, enthusiastic nod. He was, of course, Akito; the luckiest guy on the ship - only he didn't realise it. 

He was the one Yurika liked. He was the one she fussed over. He was the one she followed around the ship. 

A small part of Jun hated him for that, but the rest didn't. It wasn't Akito's fault Yurika liked him, after all. It was just a simple stroke of luck that the two met again. 

Why couldn't circumstances be different? 

The four Aestivalis pilots had launched. The Aestivalises were one of the Nadesico's main weapons, and as such, the pilots inside were risking their lives with every battle. 

Jun glanced at the back of his hand. He too could pilot an Aestivalis, because he had received a nano-injection. But his place was on the bridge with Yurika. Although he might as well be sleeping in his quarters for all the attention Yurika gave him in comparison with Akito. 

He did pilot an Aestivalis once... but the results weren't exactly successful. With the Aestivalises firing on UEAF ships as well as the Jovians, and no way to stop them, Jun leapt into action as backup. However, he neglected to put on a pilot suit. One of the Jovian grasshoppers rammed his Aestivalis in the gut, and he careened into the side of the Nadesico. Because he didn't have a pilot suit on, he experienced serious whiplash in his neck, and was left unable to talk for a little while. He had to use baseball hand-signals to communicate. How embarrassing. 

After that, he pretty much stayed away from piloting. He left it for the others to handle. He knew he shouldn't feel like some kind of coward for staying on the ship while the pilots went into battle again and again, but he couldn't help it. 

"Judging by their size and limited battle capabilities, the two enemy ships are scout ships," Ruri stated. 

"Scout ships?" Yurika repeated. "Then... why are they fighting us?" 

Even as she spoke, Jun could see the ships turning. "They're using the Grasshoppers as cover for their escape!" he stated. His eyes widened as two radar dots - Akito's Aestivalis and a Grasshopper - collided. The Grasshopper was instantly destroyed, and Akito's Aestivalis was sent flying backwards. 

"He's headed for the Nadesico!" Megumi yelled. 

"Ruri! Shut off the distortion field!" Yurika commanded. The floor shook as the Aestivalis hit the Nadesico's hull. The lights dimmed for an instant as the Nadesico attempted to cope with the impact. Many consoles in the room flickered. 

Jun's eyes widened as his console lit up like a Christmas tree. He yelped and pushed away from it as sparks appeared, shooting upwards like a fountain. He fell out of his chair and hit the floor hard. 

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Yurika's voice was panicked. 

Jun opened his mouth to say, "I'm okay," but he stopped when he heard another voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. My Aestivalis will probably need some fixing, though." The voice chuckled nervously. 

Akito. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The coffee was warm, but to Jun, it seemed slightly bitter. He stared blankly down at the table as he drank. 

"What's the tragedy?" Jun glanced up to see Ms. Howmei standing at his table. 

"Huh?" 

She smiled. "Coffee? You?" 

"Oh." Jun turned his gaze to his cup. "Yeah." 

The doors slid open and Yurika stepped in the room. She glanced around, looking for someone. 

Jun looked up. "Yurika?" 

"Akiiiitooo? Akito?" Yurika headed for the kitchen, where Akito was busy cooking lunch. 

Jun's gaze returned to the table, his face looking a touch more defeated. 

Ms. Howmei shook her head slowly. She kneeled down and rested her arms on the table. "Need someone to talk to?" 

Jun remained silent. 

Ms. Howmei put her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe a fulfilling meal will cheer you up." She smiled at him. "I know just the thing." 

She disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a steaming bowl. She placed it in front of Jun. He smiled. "Thanks." 

"No problem." She smiled again and returned to the kitchen. 

Jun tasted the stew in front of him. It was oddly sweet, and it left a delicious aftertaste in his mouth. He took another bite. His eyes turned to the kitchen, where Yurika was happily talking endlessly to an annoyed-looking Akito. 

Finishing his bowl, Jun stood and headed for the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The VR room was empty, as usual. The lights were dark, making it easy to focus on the program that was being used, and not the actual room itself. 

Jun placed one of the helmets over his head, and looked down at the console in front of him. "Run program Aoi1," he commanded. He typed in the access code. 

His world became brighter, startling his eyes. A beautiful blue sky came into view, followed by an incredible meadow of flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see. The air was clean and pure, and the sun was shining warmly. 

Ahead he could see a figure, sitting on a picnic blanket. Next to her was a basket, filled to the brim with sandwiches, pies, and even a delicious, home-baked cake. 

"Jun-kun!" she cried, waving happily. "It's about time you got here." She wore a huge smile, pure with happiness and sincerity. Jun couldn't help but feel some of it himself. He walked quickly towards her. 

As he approached, Yurika began digging into the basket, finally producing a sandwich. She offered it to Jun, who took it gratefully. He sat down on the blanket and took a bite. 

"This is delicious," he said truthfully. 

Yurika grinned in return. "Thanks!" She pulled the picnic basket closer. "There's plenty more in here! Let's see... that one you've got is a chicken sandwich. There's also ham, and there's egg, and oh! There's also..." 

Jun watched her happily. He felt warm all over, and as he looked up at the sky - the clear, blue sky - he decided that nothing could be as wonderful as what he was feeling right now. Nothing could come close. 

He was suddenly aware of Yurika's arm around his shoulder. "Wake up, silly!" she laughed. "Did you even hear a word I said? Yeesh, what were you thinking about?" 

Jun blushed. "I... I was just trying to imagine something better than this..." He smiled sheepishly. "But I can't. This is perfect." 

Yurika laughed. "Trust you to go and get all mushy, you lunkhead. Come on, lunch first." She held out another sandwich. 

Jun reached to take it, but stopped. There was something... something not right. He glanced around in confusion. 

"Jun? What's wrong?" 

Her voice was fuzzy and soft. Like it was coming from far away. Everything began to grow darker. Jun felt the tingle of fear on the back of his neck. 

Then the pain hit. It was like an incredible wave - a tsunami. Too strong to think about. Too strong to even try to fight. It swept him up with a power he had never felt before. 

He opened his mouth to yell, but all he could do was gasp for air. The beautiful fields - and Yurika - became darker. He grabbed his head and tried to pull off the VR helmet, but only halfway succeeded. His knees buckled and he collapsed, hitting the cold steel below him. For a few wild moments, he was in neither the virtual reality nor the real one - he was caught somewhere between. The steel floor below him was covered with lush grass. He could faintly hear birds singing. 

He let out a cry, and with one hand, pushed the helmet off completely. With his other, he hit his communicator switch. 

"Jun to... Jun to... to..." He tried to form the words, but couldn't. Everything was spinning, growing darker. "He-help..." he managed to gasp as he felt his senses abandon him. And then everything was dark. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Jun was aware of when he woke up was a bright light above him. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, refusing to open them. 

_Where am I?_

The memories returned like a punch in the gut. His eyes flew open. A tall, blonde-haired lady was standing over him. 

"He's awake." 

Jun sat up stiffly. He saw that he was lying in a soft bed in the Nadesico's sickbay. Ines Fressange was there, as was Ruri and... and Yurika. 

His throat tightened. Did she...? Did she know...? 

Her face was filled with concern. "Are you okay?" 

He nodded silently. He had a dull headache, but the monstrous pain from before was gone. 

"What happened, Ms. Fressange?" Yurika asked. 

"It seems he's been using the VR room a little too much lately," Ines explained. She gestured to a console, and then met Jun's gaze. "You, unfortunately, are one of the rare cases. Your mind simply can't handle too many VR simulations." 

Jun wasn't sure what to say to this, so he remained silent. 

Ines looked up. "Ruri, did you check the program that was running?" 

Ruri nodded silently. Jun's heart leaped into his throat. If Ruri had checked it for errors, then she would have had to have seen what was _in_ the program. 

"It was a tactical scenario," she said softly. Ines nodded and turned back to her console. 

Jun froze. _Why had Ruri...?_ He looked into her eyes, but her emotionless expression yielded no clues. 

"Well, as long as you're okay!" Yurika said, smiling. "Take as much time as you need to relax, Jun-kun." She turned to leave the room, but stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Jun nodded. "I'm fine now." 

Yurika nodded in reply and left. Ines started mumbling under her breath about something, but Jun couldn't figure out what. It sounded pretty scientific - basically, the sort of thing you'd expect Ines to mumble about. She retreated to her private office. 

Which left just Ruri as company. Jun twisted around to see her. "You... you didn't have to do that for me, Ruri." 

Ruri shrugged slightly. "I don't understood such adult things." 

Jun smiled slowly. "Then what made you do it?" 

Ruri remained silent. A slight smile appeared on her face. She left the room, but not before muttering "baka" just loud enough for Jun to hear. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Yurika stood, drumming her fingers on her console impatiently. She looked around the bridge; almost everyone acted the same: bored. 

She considered singing to lighten the mood, but decided against it, since Erina Won was present. Instead, she began to call up various Omoikane windows. Ruri had given her some brief lessons in computer operations, even touching on hacking, so she was pretty confident that she could figure out for herself why the VR system had caused Jun to faint. She called up a list of recently run programs. 

It was something to do, anyway. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Jun was barefoot and dressed in a ridiculous hospital gown, but he was willing to brave the embarrassment of walking around the ship just so he could get out of sickbay. 

The floor was cold under his feet, so he walked quickly. He headed straight for his room - he wanted a long, dreamless nap in his own bed. 

On the way there, however, he passed by the VR room. He stopped and stood outside the door. 

_No, you idiot,_ a corner of his mind laughed. _Stop being so pathetic._

But still, he stood there, unable to decide. The freezingly cold floor under his bare feet was forgotten. 

Finally, he found himself stepping inside. Almost automatically, he slipped the VR helmet onto his head. Without even thinking, he started up the program. 

He found himself outside of an expensive-looking restaurant. He paused to take in his surroundings, and then headed inside. His eyes scanned the room. And there she was, sitting at a table and waving at him enthusiastically. 

"Over here!" 

Jun slipped into the seat across from her and smiled. "Hi." 

She smiled back. "It's about time you got here." Her eyes fell to his clothes. "And _what_ are you _wearing_?!" 

He grinned sheepishly. "It's... it's kind of a long story." 

She nodded, smiling even wider. "You're so silly!" 

Jun's smile faded. He watched her silently as she ordered lunch for both of them. She turned to him, confused. 

"Something wrong?" 

"Yurika... do you love me?" 

She laughed. "Of course I do!" 

"Really?" Jun's voice was without emotion. "But how can you?" 

Yurika watched him, puzzled. "What?" 

"HOW CAN YOU?!" Jun yelled, leaping to his feet in a sudden surge of anger that took him by surprise. "You're not real! How can you love me?!" 

"Jun..." Yurika said softly, unsure of what else to say. 

Jun found that he was breathing quickly, as if he couldn't get enough air. His hands balled into tight fists. His heart was beating faster. Then, all at once, the wave of anger began to subside. 

"How can you...?" he repeated softly. "How...?" 

Yurika's face was filled with confusion. Before she could say anything, he reached up and, with shaking hands, removed the helmet. The restaurant was replaced with the darkness of the VR room, and his ears were filled with silence. 

No, not silence. He could hear a sobbing, whimpering sound. Only then did he realise he was crying. 

"You... you really are pathetic, aren't you?" he berated himself in a whisper. He could feel his tears dripping onto his bare feet, then slowly trickling to the floor. The cold of the steel was once more becoming noticeable. 

"I'm such an idiot..." 

He didn't know how long he had been standing there, crying in silence when he heard the door swish open behind him. He swallowed and tried to regain control of himself. 

And then a hand touched him softly on the shoulder. He turned slowly. 

Without a word, Yurika wrapped her arms around his waist and drew him close. He stiffened, resisting, but then sank into the embrace. With his face buried in her soft, blue hair, his tears started all over again. 

  


**_~ The End ~_**


End file.
